Bitter dance of blatant bruising
by Ififall
Summary: Saleem's got a Date for a dance, but what is Daz doing?
1. Shattered perfect picture

Saleem wasn't rearing to go but the as time went by he began to get a little nervous and excited. He checked his suit out in the mirror and hoped he wouldn't sweat through it. It was only gonna last a couple of hours and this girl wasn't going to try anything. She was hand picked by family, she was muslim, hard-working, pretty, with a bit of luck he could marry her in a few years. His whole life could be set up by this date, no pressure then. He went down the stairs and his stomach churned as he opened the door. She looked beautiful. He was speechless. He invited her in and his family were all waiting for her the living room. Saleem 's mum with her camera, his sister making faces and he stuck his tongue out while his mum was fiddling with the film. They took their picture together and Saleem could tell that his family were chuffed and he was taking a step in the right direction. His parents followed them to the door but Saleem made them stay in so it wouldn't be too embarassing. Her parents had hired a car to take them. Saleem let his date get in the car first and was about to get in when he heard someone say "alright?" He looked ahead of him and there was Daz-with a date of his own.

"You're going?"

"Yeah, get to push ya luck with a bird and the booze is free, see ya there" Daz said as he looked at the girl smiling beside him. Saleem groaned and hoped they wouldn't see each other much. He didn't really want people to know thet that even knew each other, let alone were mates. He got into the car when Daz walked over.

"What is it?" Saleem asked him impatiently.

"Can we have a lift?"

"Are you mad?" Saleem's date looked at him and smiled at Daz, and said: "Course you can" Saleem looked at her but didn't want her to think he was stingy, so Saleem got in the car and left the door open. Daz and his date got in, impressed at how spacious the car was. Daz introduced him and his date, Megan to Saleem's date Aisha. Aisha liked Daz, he seemed friendly and his girlfriend Megan, was pretty. She knew they would get on. Daz held his girlfriend's hand while she talked about the car.

"I would have taken my dad's but he's got business" Daz knew that's what Megan was like, constantly trying to impress.

"We hired it just for tonight" Aisha told her she looked at Saleem before asking: "How long have you two been together?"

"Aisha" Said Saleem quickly "Stop being nosey"

"Keep your hair on Sal, it was just a question" Said Aisha shaking her head. Daz smiled at them both. "It's alright, not long, so I can ask now, are you two..." Saleem and Aisha looked at each other and stayed silent. Neither of them knew where this was going or even what it was. Daz relaxed back in his chair while his girlfriend gave Daz a strange look. They got to the hall and people were already eating, dancing, and drinking with the music taking over talking. Daz and his girlfriend met up with their other friends and Saleem met up with his classmates and introduced them to Aisha. They were impressed and Saleem felt that he got a girl that people would be proud of, they all started dancing with their dates and were able to act silly, with the party music, for the next hour, but Saleem began to get embarrased as the slow music came on.

The lads groaned as the girls urged them to cuddle them on the dancefloor and Saleem began to feel hot as Aisha pulled him towards her and he wrapped his arm around her waist and she put her head on his shoulder and they rocked in time to the music. Saleem looked straight ahead at the other couples around him. It felt good to be normal, to go out with a girl and have people pat you on the back, blend into a crowd and not have people wondering why you were on your own. He swayed moving his neck into the crook of Aisha's shoulder when he saw Daz staring at him while sipping beer. Saleem wondered where Megan was and got confused as Daz went outside needing some fresh air. The slow music ended and Saleem took Aisha to the table so she could talk with his friend's dates and excused himself and went to find Daz, he knew he was being ridiculous, but if Daz was upset, he just wanted to make sure than he was alright. He quietly went outside and saw Daz drinking by a bin.

"Where's Megan?" Saleem asked.

"Dunno"

"You two row?"

"Nah"

"What's with all the staring? Ya like Aisha?"

"She's alright?"

"Do ya really like her?"

"Saleem..." Daz said bluntly, knowing that he was clutching at straws because he didn't want him to admit the truth.

"Why did you ask for a lift?"

"Cause Megan didn't want to take the bus"

"She's posh"

"Yeah" Daz agreed.

"Ok well I just wanted to see if you were...cool"

"Saleem, wanna walk around for a bit?"

"Daz, let me be normal, for just one night"

"What you on about?"

"Our dates are in there, see ya" Saleem walked off leaving Daz disappointed and confused. He drank the rest of the beer and went in to see Megan. He had to give it to her, she knew no-one but it looked like she'd been friends with them for years. This girl came from a well off family and she knew how to network, just like her mother. Daz was even surprised she showed. She messed him about all week and reckoned that the real reason she came was because she was bored. But she wasn't anymore, with lads staring at her and girls commenting on her designer dress. Daz lingered by her until people started leaving and He went and found Saleem to see what he was doing.

"Ya going home?"

"Yeah in a bit, I'll call you over"

"Cool" Daz walked over to Megan talking with a group of girls and said that they would be leaving with Saleem and Aisha in a few minutes. She responded rudely.

"I don't think so Daz, if I have to see them again I'll scream"

"What ya doing then?"

"Well I've spoken to Angela and Chris, let's go with them"

"We don't know em"

"We do now, and speak properly, the last thing I want is for people to think you're from the chav ghetto or something" She turned around to her new friends to talk about her arrangments and Saleem nodded for Daz to come over. Saleem, Daz and Aisha went out and the hired car was there. Aisha got in when Saleem and Daz heard Megan's voice.

"Daz...there you are, let's go"

"I'm going with them" Daz said, turning towards the hired car.

Megan grabbed his arm and steered him away from them "Look It was bad enough them taking us there, but they're not taking us back, how will that make us look?"

"What do ya mean?"

"I shouldn't have to explain it to you Daz, people like those two, need to stick to their own type of people, we're not like them, why would you even want to associate yourself with them?"

"You were happy to lick Aisha's arse, when ya got in their car"

"They were a last resort, Chris and Angela, like myself are way more sophisticated, you're not yet, but you're cute and at least you're the right..." Daz walked off knowing that he couldn't hear any of this any longer. "Daz where are you going?" That was the last question she asked him as he sliently got in the cab. Saleem and Aisha looked at him.

"Megan not coming?" Aisha asked.

"Nah she's busy" Daz said, they drove off and the hired car dropped Aisha off Saleem said goodbye and to his relief, she gave him a peck on the cheek. Daz looked down at Saleem's car place and Saleem got in and shut the door.

"She likes ya" Daz noted.

"Well at least some girl does, what really happened?"

"With Megan?" Saleem nodded. "She had better stuff to do and people to see"

"She was a cow weren't she?" Saleem guessed.

"Calling her one's offensive to cows mate, I'd never hit a girl but I nearly got me phone out to call a girl that could" Saleem asked the driver to drop them off here and gave him a tip. He called his mum to tell her everything was alright and he'd be back soon. The driver drove off and Saleem looked at Daz questioningly.

"What"?

"What did she say?"

"A lot of shit, I wasn't really listening, I Better go, give ya the chance to be normal" Daz threw back at him.

"Sorry about that, I Just get so paranoid around Aisha, around you..."

"That's a good thing"

"Trust me it isn't"

"Wanna come to mine?"

"I want to but I have to get back" Saleem reluctantly walked home wondering if being normal was going to be normal for him, While Daz got to his flat and deleted Megan's number and put his phone on the side. He watched TV, staring at the screen to delete thoughts of Megan's words tonight and hoped he'd never see her again.


	2. One of them

He laid on his mattress watching the news until he heard a knock on the door. He'd taken his Jacket off, but put it back on. He opened it surprised to see Megan. He was about to shut the door but she pushed it back into his face.

"Look Daz I'm sorry"

"Too late" Daz was surprised by her strength as she slipped past him and went into his tiny flat. She was quite shocked at how messy it was, but because Daz knew what she really was, he didn't care what she thought anymore. He just wanted her out. She walked into his place and was appalled but ignored the state his home was in.

"I need to explain, I know what I said shocked you, but I want you to have a better life"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm trying to protect you, from those people, from being looked down on, I like spending time with you and you like me"

"Did"

"You still do, admit it" She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his Jacket and slid it down his chest. He backed away. "I know you're a little...common"

"Cheers"

"But I thought you would keep away from them in the first place, I've met most of your mates, they're all...you know, so when I saw your mate..."

"Saleem"

"Whatever they call themselves these days, I was shocked. I mean you already live in a rat infested estate" Megan pointed out and Daz realised she'd disliked him and was stringing him along for a while.

"I'm looking at one right now"

"Don't be like that...do you wanna lower yourself further, by talking to them? They're horrible"

"How would ya know? ya don't talk to any!" Daz found her attractive the first second he met her, he couldn't deny that, but now when he looked at her he just felt angry at himself for falling for her charms. He stared at her digusted.

"Don't raise your voice at me, I'm a good person, I just don't want to waste my time with people like that and neither should you, calm down, come to my place...you could even spend the night, dad's out and..."

"Go"

"No, why?" Megan asked.

"Cause I'm not like ya and just cause me mates are like me I don't mind people who ain't"

"Do you know how difficult it was getting into their car, having to sit so close to them, I did that for you, you don't know where they're from, what they do, I was nearly sick"

"You make me sick, get out" Daz opened the door he wasn't going to pull her to the door that would mean touching her and he was only going to do that with plastic gloves.

"I'll call you tomorrow, see if you've seen sense" Megan told him.

"I won't answer, go back to ya snobby git of a dad and ya BNP leaflets" Megan calmly looked at him with a cold stare willing to wait until he calmed down to give him another chance, she smiled at him and walked out. He quietly shut the door and Daz roughly took his Jacket off and sat on his mattress. He thought the state of his place might have put her off, that's why he would never show her in when she usually came round but now the shoe was on the other foot. She'd come round seen how bad his place was and still wanted him, whereas Daz looked down on her, and almost felt sorry for her. She had some serious problems. If truth be told, his friends wouldn't mind Megan being the way she was. She was pretty, funny, probably good in bed and for Daz's mates, what she thought about other people wouldn't bother them. They'd probably even laugh about it with her. But Daz had another person to think about. Actually he thought about him constantly ever since they met, but Daz could never tell him that. How could he be with someone that hated Saleem? If Megan had been a bloke he would have said worse than he did tonight. He decided to call Saleem to see how he was.

"Ya Alright mate?"

"Yeah you?" Saleem asked.

"Wanna meet tomorrow?"

"With Megan?"

"No way, just us"

"Ok, as long as you tell me what really happened"

"K, but ya not gonna like it" They agreed to meet the next day after college. Saleem told his parents that he was going to a mates and would call them when he was leaving. He went straight to Daz's and met him outside.

"Wanna go for a drink?" Daz asked.

"If your buying" They went to a pub and Daz got the first round. Saleem stared at him.

"So you gonna tell me about her?"

"She's got issues mate"

"You mean she didn't like your fashion sense?"

"No...she don't like ya. Or Aisha"

"Oh, she's like...that" Daz nodded.

"So you wanted to meet to tell me we can't be mates?"

"No, I told her where to go"

"You can be with her I won't mind" Saleem tolf him, testing him.

"I mind"

"Look Daz, I know your mates, some of them think like that...to be honest it wouldn't surprise me if you thought..."

"What?"

"I don't have to say it"

"Ya think It'll rub off on me? Daz finished his drink and left, with Saleem tagging along after him. "Daz wait" Saleem said almost running to keep up with Daz's strides.

"Nah, ya think that I'm just gonna wake up one day and kick the crap out of ya?"

"People change...I can't trust people...some people judge like a flash and...well you wouldn't understand"

"Why wouldn't I?" Daz asked him angrily.

"My family, my friends, my own people get it"

"Ya sound just like like her"

"Who Megan?" Saleem asked him.

"I don't call her that no more, but yeah"

"I want us to be mates Daz, but don't pretend that you know what it's like for me, cause you don't"

"I can try" Daz said trying to reason with him.

"Me other mates don't have to try, they live it" Saleem told him.

"I'll let you get back to 'em them" Daz walked off home and Saleem walked behind him, but stopped, unsure of what to do next.


	3. Cruel sensation

Saleem got home, knowing that he had offended Daz, but didn't know how to say the right words. He had dinner and went upstairs unable to concentrate on coursework because he felt so guilty. He just wanted to make Daz understand that there were plenty of people like Megan out there and Daz even had friends who thought like that so Saleem was just letting Daz know that it wouldn't suprise him if he felt that way too. He didn't know how to put it, but he called him anyway.

"Daz, I didn't want it to sound like..."

"It's alright, I get it"

"Are ya doing anything later?"

"Not really" They agreed to meet at Daz's place and Daz reluctantly opened the door and Saleem walked past him in silence and walked into the living room. Daz shut the door and sat on the mattress, while Saleem looked at him standing.

"I know you got the wrong idea"

"I just got mad ya know? I shouldn't have walked off" Daz told him.

"You're not like Megan"

"Do ya believe that? Really?"

"I wanna believe it..." Saleem sat on the mattress and looked at Daz, but he looked at the floor.

"What do ya wanna do?" Daz asked him. Saleem knew that he should be with Aisha, but rang his mother and told her that he'd be spending the night with a mate. Slowly he sat up on Daz's bed and Daz took his shirt off. It was too much for Saleem who found it all little too tempting.

"Put your shirt back on"

"Why?"

"Cause"

"I'm hot" Daz said with a small smile.

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Nah I was out earlier, but if ya want it back on..." He put his shirt on and Saleem felt relived.

"What's ya problem?" Daz asked.

"Nothing"

"Ya'd rather be with me than Aisha"

"Can ya give me a break?" Saleem asked quickly.

"I've got my clothes on, what more do ya want?"

"Do ya miss Megan?"

"Like I miss flu" Daz put his arm on Saleem's shoulder and Saleem turned to face him. Aisha was a nice girl but she never made him feel like this. He would have to try with her, at least give her a chance. Daz laid on the bed and Saleem did the same with his back to him but felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise when Daz put his arm around Saleem's chest.


	4. What's Twenty Questions?

"Daz don't"

"Too soon yeah?" Daz asked.

Saleem nodded. Aisha was the right girl for him. He saw his mum's face before the dance and knew that he had to be that person, he knew his parents wanted grandkids and couldn't disapoint them. Daz didn't live with his parents but he thought Daz was going through the same thing he was.

"Are you gonna start seeing girls?" Saleem asked him.

"After her, I've gone off 'em"

"You gonna see lads?" Daz looked at him. "Are you?" Daz asked back.

"I like Aisha" Daz got up and put his T-shirt on and sat up. Saleem sat up confused.

"You alright?"

"Dunno...are you and Aisha gonna be set up?"

"You mean arranged, I dunno, depends"

"on what?" Daz asked.

"You know, if she likes me, if her family think I'm good enough, I mean they want to be sure I'll look after her"

"Who's gonna look after you" Daz asked with a smile.

"I don't wanna stop being mates with you" Saleem told him.

"So I'm just supposed sit back and watch ya with Aisha am I?"

"I've seen you with girls" Saleen countered.

"Yeah, and how was that? Daz asked. Saleem turned away from him and didn't answer. He didn't want to admit that it made him jealous and insecure but if he really wanted to make a go of it with Aisha he'd have to push that to oneside. After all if he actually had a proper girlfriend, it could be better than this with Daz. With Aisha he could actually have a real relationship.

"I don't mind" Saleem lied.

"Really?" Daz asked.

"You're a good looking lad, your not gonna be single for very long"

"Cheers...is Aisha ya type?"

"On paper yeah"

"How do ya mean?"

"Well, she's muslim, comes from a good family, our parents are friends, it's a good idea" Saleem presented his facts.

"Ya gonna ask her out?"

"Dunno I mean I freak out, around people I like...I don't have to tell you that"

"I see" Said Daz,remembering when they met for the first time. "Do ya fancy her?"

"Sometimes" Saleem answered.

"Do ya fancy me?"

"You know the answer to that one" Daz stayed still, even though he did agree with him, he just wanted him to say it to his face.

"Does she get ya hot under the collar?"

"Daz!" Saleem said embarrassed. "If I do...cross that line with her, it can't be... how I was with you"

"What?" Said Daz.

"I mean, with you, I was...well crap"

"Well...practice makes perfect"

"You wish"

"I'm joking" Daz got up and got the them both a drink. Saleem thanked him while holding the can. He'd thought about that night with Daz and didn't regret it, but it had to be a one time thing. It had to be. If it was necessary he would stay away from Daz. He didn't want to go out to dinner and wish he was sitting with Daz or hug her and wish he was breathing in Daz's scent. Daz would just have to be a friend and Aisha had to be something else.


End file.
